PENTECOST XV
September 13, 2020
“Broken, Beautiful, and Strong”
Defining beauty is one of the most subjective, individual opinions that people are likely to express. Whether the first couple of dandelions look cheerful and pretty to your eyes after a long winter, or a yard full of them sends you to the garage for your special digging tool, as the old saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
Many of us equate beauty with perfection — whether a person who is remarkably attractive, a garden without a blade of grass out of place, or an object made so exquisitely that not a flaw can be found. Life experiences, however, have a way of opening our eyes to the beauty of the imperfect — the weathered features of a beloved grandparent, the rough, raggedy look of a natural lakeshore, or the lopsided picture a smiling preschooler brings to you.
I’ve enjoyed watching “Antiques Roadshow” for years, learning the history of people and their families, as the items and their value (or lack thereof) are often just the beginning of a fascinating conversation. Not long ago, a piece of pottery was brought in, and the expert explained its unusual design. It had been broken, he said, and mended using an ancient Japanese art form called kintsugi, in which a mix of lacquer and precious metal is used to hold the pieces together. The random lines of gold transform an ordinary pottery vase into a unique, beautiful piece.
Just last week, I read Leonard Pitt’s column in the Sunday paper, and he reflected on how this past year has shown us the fragile nature of so much that we’ve taken for granted. The systems on which we’ve depended, the economy and all that makes up life as we’ve known it aren’t functioning well, and of course it’s frightening. He referenced this method of repairing pottery, and spoke of how in broken times, it is an act of faith to pick up the pieces and put them back together, possibly even creating something better and stronger.
If we feel as though brokenness surrounds us, we can easily slide into hopelessness, as this degree of loss is truly frightening. But as people of the Gospel, we are also people of hope, and just as he spoke to the early Christians, Paul encourages us with words of courage and confidence. In 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, he says, “But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” We are those fragile clay jars, breakable and temporary, but yet we have been entrusted with the great treasure of the Gospel. We cannot claim strengths or abilities on our own, but are given what we need through the creative power of our heavenly Father.
Just as the master craftsman repaired the broken pottery, so God accepts us as we are, battered and broken, and in love and forgiveness, he transforms us into new, strong, beautiful creations, able to share the hope of the Gospel of Christ.
Grateful for every day,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers